The bad news: between Covid and the cost of living crisis, people are getting fewer haircuts. And with that arises a slew of concerns previously sorted by regular salon visits (and a professional eye). The good news: there are products that can help! A mass of effective formulas are just a same-day-delivery away.
It’s now just a matter of sifting through to identify what products, treatments and techniques will help…easy right?
Que the experts. We enlist hairstylists Anthony Nader (founder of RAW salon) and Jaye Edwards (founder of Edwards and Co) for their top remedies to treat common hair woes and maintain overall healthy locks.
Overall Damage
To repair damaged and frail locks, Anthony Nader recommends investing in a quality hair mask. “Think of it like a facial for your hair. You can improve the longevity and healthy by applying a supple moisture or protein masque once a week. The more you feed your strands the more productive your hair styling will be” says Nader.
Prevent further damage (and rough texture) by considering your hair’s exposure to heat. When using hot styling tools use a heat protective spray and experiment with temperature. Nader suggests using your tools on half the heat temp and closing the hair cuticle post shower by switching to a cool water temperature at the end.
For a boosted improvement to hair strength, try an at-home bond repair treatment. Previously reserved for the salon, Jaye Edwards advises “I would stick to using a bonding product weekly and consulting with your stylist in salon. Once you have repaired your damaged bonds, using additional treatment will just wash down the sink. You cant fix what isn’t broken.”.
Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque, $105 at Rogue Beauty
Virtue Labs Restorative Treatment Mask, 150ml, $100 at Sephora
epres Bond Repair Treatment, $98 at i-glamour.com
K18 Molecular Repair Hair Oil, $94.50 at Adore Beauty
Colour Harm
Much to our dismay, colour treating your hair runs the risks chemical damage.
Edwards can attest “I see a lot of blondes who have been over highlighted, causing breakage and inconsistent colour… Using non salon quality products at home will also create build up and affect your colour.” His advice? “Put down the bleach, have a decent trim and invest in a quality restorative treatment STAT.”
We suggest L’Oreal Professionnel’s Metal Detox Serum In Oil, which helps to protect against harmful metal deposits seen in colour treated hair. Eleven’s Blonde Toning Spray is a great option for neutralising tone and brassiness.
To extend the longevity of colour services, and reduce you’re exposure to high intensity chemicals, Edwards suggests “booking in for regular glosses, these are quick 15 minute in salon treatments that help make your colour pop again without booking a full colour service”.
O&M Clean.tone Colour Treatment Cool Blonde, $39.95 at Adore Beauty
L’Oreal Professionnel Metal Detox Serum In Oil, $60 at The Iconic
Eleven Australia Keep My Colour Blonde Toning Spray, $27.95 at Adore Beauty
Dullness
Locks lacking lustre? Nader suspects your shower routine may be to blame. “If your hair strands are frail and lack shine, I’d say you’re using the wrong shampoo and conditioner,” he explains. “Ask your hairdresser to prescribe the best products for your hair type.” Other factors can be diet, sunlight and chemical damage. Try adding serums from Iles Formula (dosed with Australian botanicals) or Guerlain (enriched with black bee honey) into your daily hair routine, to promote vitality and shine. Nader’s preferred application involves “a few drops onto damp hair. It blow-dries in beautifully and doesn’t appear dirty or feel heavy”.
Iles Formula Haute Performance Finishing Serum, $84 at Rogue Beauty
Guerlain Abeille Royale Scalp & Hair Youth-Oil-in Serum, $230 at David Jones
Fekkai Brilliant Gloss Shampoo Shine & Anti Frizz, 250ml, $36 at Sephora
Unruly Frizz
Hydration is key for combating frizz, says Jaye Edwards. He suggests applying products right after you shower to lock in moisture; think of it as “skin flooding” for your hair. While there are external aggressors that contribute to frizz, it often comes down to genetics, so “work with your natural hair texture, rather than against it”.
For wavy to curly/kinky hair, products such as Bread’s Curl Capturing Gloss gel are essential in reducing frizz and taming flyaways while retaining texture and volume. Living Proof’s Smooth Styling Serum is a great option for straighter hair types and will leave locks looking polished and sleek.
Bread Hair-Gel Curl Capturing Gloss, $48 at Sephora
Living Proof No Frizz Smooth Styling Serum, $57 at MECCA
Kevin Murphy Killer Curls Rinse, $47.95 at Hairhouse
Split Ends
Supposed split-end saviours are on the rise (and amassing millions of views on TikTok’s #hairtok). But Nader warns these “revolutionary” products may not be giving the results we had hoped for. “Once the hair is split, it’s split,” he explains. “There are products on the market that can ‘mask or seal’ a split end but it’s not permanent.” Nader’s solution? Regular haircuts because “why do you want to grow unhealthy split hair?” So if your last trim is a distant memory, preventing frayed ends from splitting further up the hair shaft sounds like a very good reason to book in.
Thinning
Try an inside-out approach to hair loss and thinning. Invest in a high-performing ingestible (JSHealth and Vida Glow stock some of our favourites) and active topicals such as Vegamour’s GRO Serum or Robe Haircare’s Tonic. Both are lightweight and dosed with phyto-actives that work overtime to revitalise the look of hair and help improve body. Just make sure you apply them consistently, as thicker-looking locks can take time.
Robe The Tonic, $69.99 at Adore Beauty
Vegamour Gro Hair Serum, $105 at Sephora
JSHealth Vitamins Hair + Energy Formula – 2 Months Supply, $44.99 at JSHealth Vitamins
Scalp Issues
The root cause of oily or greasy hair could be your scalp care (or lack of). Aveda’s new Scalp Solutions range has adaptogenic herbs and hyaluronic acid to help maintain the heath of your scalp’s microbiome. Meanwhile, treat dandruff with a salicylic-dosed shampoo, like the one from Kérastase.
Kérastase Symbiose Crème Hydrating Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, $57 at Adore Beauty
Aveda Scalp Solutions Exfoliating Scalp Treatment, $80 at Adore Beauty
Klorane Anti-dandruff Rebalancing Shampoo with Galangal & AHA, $24.99 at Adore Beauty
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